Quick MOT question (tyres)

Mark A

Mark A

Mark A

Soldato
Joined
19 May 2005
Posts
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Location
Lancashire
Hi,

Got my MOT booked on Monday and just had a quick check over the car to make sure all the bulbs were OK etc. Ive noticed there isn't a great deal of tread left on my front tyres.

The tread is almost at the markers, I'd say the tread was less than a mm above the markers. Are the markers dead on 1.6mm? or are they slightly more? Will they pass the MOT as they are?

I don't really want to buy some new tyres just for the MOT as I'm currently bidding on a set of alloys with newish tyres on ebay which will be replacing the current wheels.

Also something i found out today while looking at my old MOT cert, there was supposed to be a advisory note with it but the garage i bought the car from must have removed it :mad:. I know i should have checked that at the time but as it was my first car i didn't think anything of it.

Just worried in case there was anything important on the advisory list. Ahh well guess I'll find out on Monday.
 
Begbie said:
Measure the depths correctly.

Worst comes to the worst they fail you, you fix it and take it back.
Click to expand...

I don't have a tread depth guage but i used a steel ruler and a peg and it showed 3mm of tread. This was taken in the middle grooves that run around the tyre.

Just hope i get an advisory on it though as these wheels will be coming straight off if i win the auction.

EDIT: Just took a pic, as you can see its very close but slightly above the marker.

IMG_3827.jpg
 
Last edited:
That particular bit of the tyre is OK, but check all the wear beads. If one of them is flush expect a failure. In that instance i'd get a pair of part worns to tide you over until you replace the wheels.

Re the advisory, perhaps they had the work done? I didn't supply the advisory when i sold my ZX. It was for excessive handbrake travel which was put right in about 3 minutes. I wouldn't worry unduly about it.
 
Here are the rules on tread wear:

Reasons for rejection:

1. The grooves of the tread pattern are not at least 1.6mm throughout a continuous band comprising the central three-quarters of the breadth of tread, and round the entire outer circumference of the tyre

Note: Each side of the central band of the tyre can be devoid of tread (ie. ‘bald’) and still meet the pass. See diagram below

http://www.motuk.co.uk/photos/tyres_4.1_page6.gif
 
loki101 said:
Re the advisory;

You can check online to see what it was and the past MOT historys too.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that :), didn't know you could do that. I'm just glad there was nothing bad on there. Got the brakes sorted a few weeks back and they're now working great.

Advisory Notice issued
Offside front tyre worn on inside edge
Nearside front tyre worn low on tread
Both front brake discs worn and corroded

LOL, if the front tyres appeared on the advisory a year ago i think they could well be illegal now :D. Looks like I'll be getting some cheapies fitted tomorrow then.
 
Surely you haven't let it go for a year without looking at the treads till a few days before your MOT is due ?! As I understand it any MOT station worth using would fail those as they're at or on the wear limit. It says 'at least' for a reason, 1.6mm is the absolute legal minimum, i'd expect them to fail it at any point they have to start trying to differentiate between tenths of a mm one way or the other.

For example the pads on my bike had approx 3mm left, it didn't pass as it wasn't clearly over 3mm. The person using it at the time hadn't understood the concept of maintain it in the condition he borrowed it in for the last 8k and decided to go cheap and order pads online only for them to turn up 10 days later and end up on public transport for 1.5 hours a day to do a 20 minute run on the bike.
 
Ive looked at them and they didn't seem too bad. I don't really drive my car all that much, mainly quick trips to the shops etc. I don't drive to work every day etc. I knew they needed changing soon which is why Ive been looking at alloys on ebay for the past few months. Just dawned on me that they might be a bit too far gone to pass.

I did plan on having new alloys on before the MOT but they went for more than i was prepared to pay.

I'll just have to waste 80 odd quid getting some crappy Tigars fitted now. Still thanks for the input as thats better than having to pay again to get it retested after its failed.
 
I'll have to see whats open on Sunday when i go. I'm working tomorrow now so cant get it sorted till Sunday. I know my local National Tyres is open Sunday morning but they don't do part worn. Looked on their site and the cheapest they do is Tigars for £80 for 2 fitted.
 
Just got back from National tyres, £115 for 2 Tigar Prima tyres :mad:. Oh well, its my fault for leaving it till the last min. I wont be going to national again though, it was the only place open.
 
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